Apparently, being circumcised is now a political qualification.
MAGA pastor and self-described prophet Hank Kunneman, who previously asked his congregation to donate so that he can charter a private jet, has delivered one of the more unhinged rallying cries for the upcoming midterm elections, warning Christians that “uncircumcised, uncovenanted people” are trying to steal America.
MAGA pastor Hank Kunneman asks congregants to donate to a “travel fund” so he can charter private jets “because I am so dedicated to God”: “Even Jesus was concerned about going to certain ports and airports.” pic.twitter.com/ruGeFctJnk
— Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) March 16, 2026
During a recent broadcast circulated by Right Wing Watch, Kunneman of One Voice Ministries urged Christians to “show up in force” at the midterms.
“I am not going to let uncircumcised, uncovenanted people try to steal this nation that was dedicated to Jesus Christ,” he declared. He then pivoted to transgender people, women’s sports, and Islam, telling men to get out of women’s sports and referring to them as “uncircumcised philistines.”
Yes, uncircumcised philistines.
MAGA pastor Hank Kunneman bellows that Christians must vote the midterms: “I am not going to let uncircumcised, uncovenanted people try to steal this nation that was dedicated to Jesus Christ.” pic.twitter.com/tFhVDqx6RA
— Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) September 8, 2026
Wait, What Does “Uncircumcised” Mean?
This is where the Bible lesson gets slightly less ridiculous, although Kunneman’s modern application remains quite a leap.
The phrase comes from biblical language in which circumcision represented membership in the covenant between God and the Israelites. In the story of David and Goliath, David calls Goliath an “uncircumcised Philistine” while explaining to King Saul why he believes he can defeat him.
In that context, David was not simply insulting Goliath’s anatomy. “Uncircumcised” marked Goliath as an outsider to the Israelite covenant and therefore someone who stood against God’s people.
Kunneman appears to be borrowing that symbolism and transferring it onto people he considers outsiders to his vision of a Christian America.
The problem is that modern America is not ancient Israel. Circumcision is practiced for religious, cultural, medical, and personal reasons, while many Christians are circumcised and many are not. It is hardly a reliable political test of who belongs to God, America, or anything else.
READ: Texas Lt. Gov. Patrick Says There Is No Separation of Church and State
When Christianity Becomes a Political Boundary
Kunneman’s comments also fit into a larger MAGA argument about America’s supposed Christian identity.
The Trump administration has explicitly pursued that idea through Executive Order 14202, Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias, which created a federal task force to investigate alleged anti-Christian bias. A 2026 Justice Department report subsequently criticized policies of the Biden administration and described the Trump administration’s efforts to restore religious liberty.
But there is a considerable difference between protecting Christians from religious discrimination and declaring that America belongs exclusively to Christians.
Kunneman’s language makes that distinction particularly obvious. His “uncircumcised” outsiders aren’t merely people who disagree with him politically. He bundles them together with transgender people, Muslims, and others he portrays as threats to a Christian nation.
So apparently the midterms have arrived, and somehow being circumcised has become political.
Kunneman’s argument is absurd: he has taken an ancient biblical term for outsiders and turned it into a bizarre label for modern political opponents.
Democracy really does keep finding new ways to get weird.